Trick weight-lifting machine.



E. DE MOULIN.

TRICK WEIGHT LIPTING MACHINE, APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1908.

953,41 1 Patented Mar.29,1910.

ANDiiW I;v GRAHAM C0 Pnmumocmvum wAemNaroN. D. 6.

UNTT

ERASTUS DE MOULIN, OF GREENVILLE, ILLINOIS.

TRICK WEIGHT-LIFTING MACHINE.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

Serial No. 451,414.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERASTUS DE MOULIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenville, in the county of Bond and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Trick VVeight-Lifting Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to initiation devices and is more especially a trick lifting machine having means, designed to be released during the lifting operation, for spanking a person being initiated.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character having a paddle which is normally concealed from the initiate.

A further object is to provide simple mechanism designed, when released by the initiate, to automatically project the paddle beyond the housing in which it is contained and swing it upwardly against the person positioned on the housing.

Another object is to provide a motor actuated generator the motor of which is designed to be released by the initiate whereupon a current of electricity will be directed into him.

A still further object is to provide durable and compact mechanism for actuating the paddle, said mechanism being readily accessible for the purpose of repairing or replacing any of the parts.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 4: is a transverse section through the guide strips and showing the hinged connection between the paddle and slide. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the detonator-holder and the firing-pin.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates a housing which is box-like in form and constitutes a platform on which the person to be initiated is placed. Rods 2 extend through oneend of the platform or housing and are attached to a cross strip 8, there being coiled springs 4 upon the rods and bearing against the housing and the cross strip so as to retard the upward movement of said strip when the rods 2 are pulled by means of handles 5 secured to them. A magneto or other generator 6 is arranged within the housing and has a spring motor 7 including a train of gears 8 one of which has an outstanding stop pin 9. A locking lever 10 is mounted to swing horizontally into the path of this pin but is provided with a spring 11 which holds it normally out of the path of the pin. A spring controlled latch lever 12 is mounted to swing vertically adjacent the lever 10 and one end of this latch lever is designed to automatically assume a position in the path of lever 10 while the other end thereof eX- tends over the cross strip 3. The parts are so positioned that when lever 10 is swung against the stress of its spring and into the path of the stop pin 9 the latch lever will automatically move into the path of the lever 10 and hold it until said latch lever is shifted by the elevation of the cross strip 3. One of the rods 2 is insulated from the strip 3 and is electrically connected to the generator while said strip is also electrically connected to said generator.

Arranged longitudinally within the housing adjacent the center thereof are parallel guide strips 13 having longitudinal grooves 14 in their inner or adjoining faces. A slide 15 is mounted to travel within these grooves and between the guide strips and has a spring tongue extending from one end and provided with a head 17. A strap or keeper 18 connects the strips 13 adjacent one end and is designed, when the slide is shifted in one direction, to be automatically engaged by the head 17.

Secured between the guide strips 13 at that end farthest removed from the keeper 18 are spring controlled sheaves 19 each of which has a tape 20 preferably of metal, fastened at one end thereto, the other end of the tape being provided with a loop 21 for detachably engaging a hooked arm extending from the slide 15. Any desired number of sheaves and tapes may be employed and said tapes extend between the guides and along parallel lines so as to exert a direct pull upon the slide. The springs of the sheaves are designed to be wound during the unwinding of the tapes and will automatically wind the tapes when they are released. A buffer spring 23 is secured between the guides and adjacent sheaves l9 and constitutes a cushion for stopping the movement of the slide 15 while it is being drawn by the spring actuated tapes longitudinally between the guides.

Arranged within the top of the housing at the center of one end portion thereof is a substantially rectangular opening 24 from which extends a lon itudinal slot 25 gradually increasing in width toward its front end and formed within the inner face of the top of the housing is a longitudinal groove 26 which extends from the front end of the slot and is of gradually diminishing depth. This groove constitutes the seat of the stem 27 of a paddle 28. The paddle is designed to fit within the opening 24 and a portion of the stem partly fills the slot 25. That end of the stem farthest removed from the paddle is connected to the slide 15 by means of hinges 29 and is of slightly increased width so as to form a broad bearing surface 30 designed to contact with the front end of the slot 25 as hereinafter set forth.

The lower or inner face of the paddle has a detonator holder 31 secured thereon and disposed in the path of a firing pin 32 designed to be directed against a detonator within the holder when the paddle is brought to a sudden stop, as when striking a person. This holder and firing pin constitute no part of the present invention and can be constructed in any preferred man ner, it being merely necessary that the detonator be exploded as a result of the impact of the paddle against the body.

The platform is designed to be covered with any suitable fabric and that portion of the fabric extending over the rear portion of the platform is preferably left loose so that during the operation of the paddle as hereinafter set forth this loose portion will not interfere with the movements of the paddle. The paddle is normally supported substantially flush with the platform by a guide roller 33 which is mounted between the guide strips 13 and under the slot 25.

lVhen it is desired to use the device the slide 15 is shifted longitudinally between the guide strips 13 until the tongue 16 is brought into engagement with keeper 18. \Vhen the slide is thus located the stem of the paddle rests on roller 33 while the paddle itself is supported within the opening 24. The springs of sheaves 19 are of course under stress when the slide is in this position and the tapes 2O unwound. A detonator is placed within the holder 31 and the firing pin set, if necessary, so as to operate by impact to explode the detonator. After the paddle has been set and charged as above described the motor 7 may be wound and the lever 10 locked in position to prevent rotation of the stop pin 9.

lVhen the initiate is placed upon the platform and instructed to test his strength, he pulls upwardly on the handles 5 so as to draw the strip 3 against the stress of springs 4. hen the strip has been elevated to a predetermined degree it shifts the latch lever 12 so as to release lever 10 which is promptly shifted by its spring 11 out of the path of stop pin 9. The motor 7 is thus released and will actuate the magneto generator, the generated current passing into the rods 2 and handles 5 and thence into the arms of the person grasping the handles. Simultaneously with this operation the cross strip 3 comes into contact with head 17 and releases the tongue 16 from engagement with keeper 18. The slide is thus unlocked and the spring controlled sheaves 19 will promptly wind the tapes 20 thereon and draw the slide 15 longitudinally between the guides and against the buffer As the slide is actuated in this manner the stem of paddle 28 is shifted longitudinally upon roller 33 and this roller acts as a fulcrum on which stem 2'? slides and swings.

It will be seen therefore that the stem and I paddle will be quickly shifted out of the openin 24- and slot 25 and the paddle swung forward when extended so as to paddle the initiate who, necessarily, is in a stooping position. The impact of the paddle against the body will be suflicient to cause the explosion of the detonator carried by the paddle. To reset the machine the paddle is swung downward and pushed forward so as to move the slide between the guides until its head 17 engages the keeper 18.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a dial and indicator 34 are placed within the platform 1 at a point between the handles 5 so as to still further deceive the initiate as to the real purposes for which the machine is intended. Moreover, a switch 35 of any preferred construction can be arranged at one side of the platform so as to break the circuit through the wires at any time desired and before the magneto has ceased to opcrate.

The paddle can be made detachable from the slide, if so desired.

For the purpose of making the housing more compact the paddle may be made up of hingedly connected sections designed to fold, said paddle being so constructed as to automatically straighten out when released in the manner hereinbefore set forth.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a platform; of a normally concealed paddle, and means disposed to be released by a person in the path of the paddle for projecting the paddle beyond the platform.

2. The combination with a platform; of a normally concealed movable paddle, means for automatically projecting the paddle beyond the platform, means for locking the paddle in concealed position, and manually operated means for releasing said locking means.

3. The combination with a platform; of a pivoted paddle normally concealed, means for automatically swinging said paddle on its pivot beyond the platform, means for locking the paddle in concealed position, and manually operated means for releasing said locking means.

4. The combination with a platform; of a pivoted and slidable paddle normally concealed, means for automatically simultaneously sliding said paddle and swinging it on its pivot beyond the platform, means for looking the paddle in concealed position, and manually operated means for releasing said locking means.

5. The combination with a platform; of a slide, a paddle hingedly connected thereto and normally concealed, a fulcrum above the path of the slide and movably engaged by the paddle, means for automatically actuating the slide to shift the paddle upon the fulcrum, means for locking the slide against movement, and means for releasing the slide.

6. The combination with a platform; of a spring actuated slide, a normally concealed paddle movably connected to the slide, a relatively fixed fulcrum for, and movably engaged by the paddle, means for locking the slide against movement, and means for releasing the slide.

7. The combination with a platform; of a spring actuated slide, a normally concealed paddle movably connected to the slide, a relatively fixed fulcrum for, and movably engaged by the paddle, means for locking the slide against movement, and means for releasing the slide, and a spring bufier for limiting the movement of the slide.

8. The combination with a platform; of guides, a slide mounted therebetween, a

spring actuated winding device, a flexible connection between said device and the slide, a normally concealed paddle movably connected to the slide, and means for projecting the paddle beyond the platform during the movement of said paddle and slide.

9. The combination with a platform having an opening therein, and guides below the opening; of a slide mounted between the guides, a paddle normally seated within the opening and having a stem hingedly connected to the slide, spring actuated means for moving the slide relative to the guides, means for locking .the slide against movement, means for unlocking the slide, and means in the path of the paddle stem for de fiecting the paddle beyond the platform during the movement of the slide.

10. The combination with a platform; of a paddle normally concealed within and below the platform, said paddle being hingedly mounted, means disposed to be released by a person upon the platform for projecting the paddle beyond the platform, and means in the path of said paddle for swinging it while being projected.

11. The combination with a platform; of a paddle normally concealed within and below the platform, detonator holding means carried by the paddle, means upon the pad- .dle' for striking the detonator, and means disposed to be released by a person upon the platform for projecting the paddle beyond the platform and into contact with the person to explode the detonator.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ERASTUS DE MOULIN.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE H. DAVIS, ALPHoNsE B. SoI-IEELE. 

